Tarot and spell work (Guest Post by Bernadette Montana)

February 28th, 2011 by sivodd

Many people are interested in learning how to make their spell work more effective.  One way to do this, is to incorporate the tarot into your spells.

Have you ever thought of using the tarot in spells or magic? If you are already working with the tarot (and if you are reading this), then spells are great for manifesting whatever it is that you feel you need in your life. The only requirement is that you always concentrate on your goal. Simply direct your own energy into each of the cards to charge them. If you already work with the tarot, then you will already have a “psychic link” with your cards. I also recommend having an item that belongs or is related to the issue at hand. An example of this might be a photograph of a person, or a piece of jewelry. For money, use a piece of silver or gold etc.

To do almost any spell, pick out the one card (or cards) that most closely represent your intention, light a candle, burn the appropriate incense and say out loud what it is that you need in rhyme. Say this spell three times, let the candle and incense burn out and the spell is done!

Example: Money is what I need, may no harm come to none, so mote it be!

What is the purpose of your working?  Is it for money, love, or protection?  Having the correct implements will help you to achieve the results that you are looking for.

If you’re intention is to have more money in your life, then I would use the Pentacles/Discs as the suit of Pentacles is associated with money.  If your spell is about love, then I would use the suit of cups.  Cups is associated with love and emotions. A legal matter?  I would then use the suit of Swords.  I would use wands if I needed help with school, inspiration, projects or career.

Here is a chart that might help you pick the right cards for any given spell:

The suit of Cups: The element of water. Take a look at a cup. It is very feminine looking. A cup is meant to be filled with some kind of liquid such as water. We shed tears when we are emotional. Tears are made of water. Cups are associated with love, emotions and the feminine. This suit also represents issues of love and/or friendship.

The suit of Swords: The element of fire. If I were to put a sword in your hand, what would you do with it? Would you lay it down? Would you use for self defense? Would you stab someone with it? That says a lot about this particular suit. It is also associated with legal issues. A legal issue can be a battle of some sort. What are you battling? Are you fighting someone, or fighting for your rights? What kind of garbage are you trying to “cut” through?

The suit of Wands: This suit is associated with the element of Air. Wands can indicate a need to return to your “Artsy” side. You have creative, intellectual and artistic tendencies. Try to be rational and think logically.

The suit of Pentacles: The element of Earth. Pentacles are associated with money, but all money around the world is backed up by gold or silver. Where is that metal mined from? It all comes from the earth. You need to be grounded. Your family and traditions that make you feel grounded and more in touch with reality. What makes you feel grounded? Substance and Earth

Intentions Tarot Card
Peace, intuition and beauty The Moon, The High Priestess
For patience and overcoming limitations Strength
Love spells The Lovers, The two of Cups
Self confidence, new ideas, new travels The World
For self acceptance The Hanged man, Strength
To Enhance a Telepathic Link Strength, The High Priestess, The Magician, And The Hanged Man
Magical Ability Strength, The High Priestess, The Magician, The Star
Concentration and Meditation Strength , The High Priestess , The Magician , The Star , The Hanged Man , The Wheel of Fortune , The Hermit , The World
Creativity Strength, The High Priestess, The Magician, The Star and The Fool
Dreams Strength, The High Priestess, The Magician, The Star, The Sun
To Banish Negativity From a Place Strength, The High Priestess, The Magician, The Star, The Sun, And The World
Psychic Attack Strength, The High Priestess, The Magician, Justice
For Protection Strength, The High Priestess, The Magician, The Hanged Man, The Wheel of Fortune, The Tower
Luck Strength, The High Priestess, The Magician, The Star, The Wheel of Fortune
To Overcome a Fear Strength, The High Priestess, The Magician, The Hanged Man, The Devil, And The Sun
To Banish Obsession Strength, The High Priestess, The Magician, The Hanged Man, Temperance, The Moon, The Sun, And The Chariot
To Strengthen Spirit The High Priestess, The Magician, The Hanged Man, The Chariot, Temperance, And The Sun
To Strengthen Love Strength, The High Priestess, The Magician, The Star, The Moon, And The Sun
To Find New Love Strength, The High Priestess, The Magician, The Star, The Moon, And The Sun

As you can see, that the choices are almost endless.  I hope that this helps you in using the tarot in your magickal spells.

http://www.bridscloset.com


Bio: I am a mom to 3 sons, a dog, 2 parrots and a bunny. I own a metaphysical shop named Brid’s Closet in Cornwall, NY. A 3rd degree priestess in the Alexandrian tradition of Wicca, a 3rd degree Reiki practitioner, a professional tarot reader and I teach the tarot at various stores in NY State, I taught the tarot at the Starwood Festival in 2007, 2009 and 2010. A pipe carrier in the Sun Bear tribe. I’ve also written articles for The Witches Voice in the past called What Does It Mean To Be A Pagan In Today’s World and The Good, the Bad and the Tarot reader. I also write for the Sacred Mists blog, and run The Newburgh and Cornwall Witches Meetup, and facilitate two festivals in Cornwall, The Winter Solstice/Yule Ball and The Beltaine festival.

Thanks for a great read Bernadette!

Thanks for stopping by! Well wishes to you all and have a great day!

Lisa

Sunday Morning Post

February 27th, 2011 by sivodd

Welcome to juju nation!
The Citizen Reporter
Dar es Salaam. Tanzania is home to some of the most devout Christians and Muslims in the world. The composition of the population is about 50-50, with the believers enjoying unprecedented peace and harmony, as they go about their worship since Independence nearly 50 years ago. Therefore, the findings of a recent survey that lists Tanzanians among the leading believers in witchcraft and worshippers of traditional African religions in sub-Saharan Africa will come as a surprise to many.

The report has revealed that although the majority are either churchgoers or attend prayers in mosques, a good number of them still believe in witchcraft, evil spirits, sacrifices to ancestors, traditional religious healers, reincarnation and other elements that are the cornerstones of traditional African religions.

More than half of the people surveyed between December 2008 and April 2009 in 19 countries, including Tanzania, in the Pew-Templeton Global Religious Futures Project of the United States, confirmed that they practise superstition and trust the supernatural world of spirits.  In the five-member East African Community (EAC), Tanzanians were said to be the most superstitious and ranked third after Senegal and Mali, among the 19 countries.  Burundians are the least superstitious in the EAC, followed by the Rwandese and Kenyans. Ugandans are the second most superstitious in the EAC, and came 11th in the survey. Read full story from thecitizen.co.tz

Lafayette gives psychic business evil eye
Lafayette city officials are dusting off a little-known municipal code in an attempt to shut down a self-proclaimed psychic who police say misled customers into giving up thousands of dollars.

On Thursday, the city issued a cease-and-desist letter to Patricia Johns, owner of Astrology Gallery on South Street, said Ed Chosnek, the city’s attorney. If she doesn’t shut down the business soon, the city will consider legal action.

“Not within hours, but within days of the receipt of the letter we expect her to be in compliance with the ordinance,” Chosnek said.

He said Johns is violating a code on the books since at least the 1970s. It bans fortune-tellers and clairvoyants from profiting off those services.

Johns came to the city’s attention after police heard from two of her former customers. They said they were misled into giving Johns cash or items worth $80,000, said Lafayette Police Detective B.T. Brown. Read full story jconline.com

Pagans campaign for Census voice
Pagans are campaigning for druids and witches to declare their religious affiliation in next month’s Census to gain greater recognition for the group.

The Pagan Federation says it wants the same recognition as other faiths.

Secularists say the optional question about what religion people are could lead to artificially large numbers identifying themselves as Christian.

That in turn could lead to an over-provision of faith schools, the British Humanist Association argues. Read full story from bbc.co.uk

Neglected graves home to ‘invisible dead’
Gore, Georgia (CNN) — Duncan Shropshire stops at the edge of the treeline, where the meadow becomes a forest. His yellow linen shirt is misbuttoned and crooked, leaving the bottom of his belly slightly exposed.

His 8-year-old daughter, Mia-Grace, stands a foot or so behind him, wiping her runny nose with the sleeve of her blue sweatshirt. After about a minute, she lets out a sigh of boredom.

Shropshire, 51, clasps his daughter’s hand and begins leading her into the Northwest Georgia forest.

“This is where your ancestors are buried, back here,” Shropshire says. “C’mon, I’ll show you.”

And with a loving tug, Duncan Shropshire shares with his daughter a key piece of their family’s history. Read full story from cnn.com

Ancient child burial site found in Alaska
Alaska researchers have found the cremated remains of a 3-year-old child whose parents were among the first immigrants to North America, crossing over the then-existing land bridge from Asia to the New World through the region known as Beringia.

The 11,500-year-old remains were found buried on the banks of the Tanana River in the hearth of what appears to be a summer home for the early Beringians, the earliest known habitation for these first American settlers.

Archaeologists already know quite a bit about these early people based on sites where the groups gathered briefly to hunt, skin and consume large game, said archaeologist Frank E. “Ted” Goebel of the Center for the Study of the First Americans at Texas A&M University, who was not involved in the current research. Read full story from latimes.com

Listening to dreams can help build self-esteem
Jan Brehm of Portland woke up from a dream confused and shaken to her core. Lisa Espich of Tucson woke so deeply disturbed by a dream featuring her husband that she knew her marriage would never be the same. Jennifer Lambert of Virginia Beach felt such agitation over her dream that she cried for 30 minutes straight when she woke up — and then called her sister, from whom she’d long been estranged.

Dreams can rock us, scare us, and in some cases, inspire us. But is listening to our dreams right up there with calling a psychic hotline? Not at all, say leading experts. “People are now using their dreams as tools to make their lives better,” comments Marcia Emery, PhD, a psychologist at Holos University.

Don’t be robbed of a good night’s sleep! Use these strategies to get your zzzz’s.

This is relatively newfound respect. Many researchers used to believe that dreams simply reflected the random firing of nerve signals while we sleep. “The thinking was that the dreams were meaningless and didn’t serve any function at all,” says Harvard psychology professor Deirdre Barrett, PhD. But today, many scientists feel that dreams play the vital role of clarifying what truly matters to us. “Dreaming is thinking — just in a different biochemical state,” explains Dr. Barrett, author of “The Committee of Sleep: How Artists, Scientists, and Athletes Use Dreams for Creative Problem-Solving — and How You Can Too.” “It’s a mode of contemplation that’s much more visual, intuitive, and emotional, as opposed to the patterns of waking thought.” Read full story from msnbc.com

Voodoo sex ceremony starts fatal fire, officials say
New York (CNN) — Candles used in voodoo sex ceremony caused a fatal five alarm fire after they tipped over and ignited bed sheets in a Brooklyn, New York, apartment, authorities said Friday.

The fire left an elderly woman dead and injured 20 firefighters and three Brooklyn residents, according to a New York Fire Department statement.

A voodoo priest allegedly placed the candles on the floor around the bed on Saturday after a woman paid him $300 to perform a ceremony with a sexual component, that was meant to bring her good luck, fire department officials said. Read full story from cnn.com

Book bound in human skin goes on display in Devon
When Devon murderer George Cudmore was sentenced to hang at the Lent Assizes in 1830, he knew that part of his sentence was that his dead body would be taken to an Exeter hospital to be dissected.

What he probably was not aware of was that a chunk of his skin would eventually be flayed, tanned and used to cover an 1852 copy of The Poetical Works of John Milton.

The book is now housed at the Westcountry Studies Library in Exeter.

It will go on show to the public for the first time on 26 February as part of Devon’s annual Local History Day. Read full story from bbc.co.uk

Upcoming Events

February 27th, 2011 by sivodd

March 26, 2011: Earth Hour (Facebook event)


https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=144835798911848

April 30, 2011 Brid’s Closet 4th Annual Beltane/Spring festival!
https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=113198738756135

May 2, 2011: Pagan Coming out Day (Washington D.C.)
https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=166514153400257
For details in your area, go to IPCOD

Week in Review

February 26th, 2011 by sivodd

In case you missed anything, here are highlights from this past week. I hope everyone is having a good weekend!

Highlights!

Who Are We? By Stacy Evans

We can be anyone we want to be, more so because Wicca can encompass anything. We are everyone. We are kind and loving. We can be mean, because we are only human. We are not better than anyone else, but we are equal to everyone else.

This isn’t about rights, it’s about respect. We need to find a way for people to respect us, regardless of those who try to bring us down. And maybe, we can even look to Christianity for examples. Is this our arena, and are the Christians our lions? Perhaps. Not all of them certainly. Obviously, however, some of them fall under this category. We are in a young religion, and we are being forged in the fires. Will we break, or come out stronger? Read more…

Hump Day Herbs – Calamus

Botanical Name: Acorus Calamus

Folk Names: Gladden, Myrtle Flag, Myrtle Grass, Myrtle Sedge, Lubigan, Sweet Cane, Sweet Flag, Sweet Grass, Sweet Root, Sweet Rush, Sweet Sedge

Calamus are perennial flowering plants from the Acorus family. Native to to North America and northern and eastern Asia. The leaves grow between 0.7 and 1.7 cm wide, with average of 1 cm, and the flower is between 3 and 4 mm.

The Penobscot people would cut the root and hang it throughout the house to cure illness. When traveling, they would take a piece of the root, and chew to ward off sickness. To cure a runny nose, The Potawatomi people would powder the dried root and put up their nose. The Teton-Dakota warriors believed it prevented excitement and fear when facing their enemy, they would chew it to a paste and rub it on their face. Read more …

Links:

Videos:

Thanks for stopping by! Well wishes to you all and have a great day!

Lisa

Hump Day Herbs – Calamus

February 24th, 2011 by sivodd

CALAMUS

Botanical Name: Acorus Calamus

Folk Names: Gladden, Myrtle Flag, Myrtle Grass, Myrtle Sedge, Lubigan, Sweet Cane, Sweet Flag, Sweet Grass, Sweet Root, Sweet Rush, Sweet Sedge

Calamus are perennial flowering plants from the Acorus family. Native to to North America and northern and eastern Asia. The leaves grow between 0.7 and 1.7 cm wide, with average of 1 cm, and the flower is between 3 and 4 mm.

The Penobscot people would cut the root and hang it throughout the house to cure illness. When traveling, they would take a piece of the root, and chew to ward off sickness. To cure a runny nose, The Potawatomi people would powder the dried root and put up their nose. The Teton-Dakota warriors believed it prevented excitement and fear when facing their enemy, they would chew it to a paste and rub it on their face.

Diety: Maiandros

Element: Water (Fidelity, Friendships, Healing, Love, Meditation, Prophetic Dreams, Purification, Sleep).

Gender: Feminine.

Planet: Moon (Fertility, Healing, Peace, Prophetic Dreams, Sleep).

Powers: Healing, Luck, Money, Protection.

Medicinal Uses: The root is anodyne, aphrodisiac, aromatic, carminative, diaphoretic, emmenagogue, expectorant, febrifuge, hallucinogenic, hypotensive, sedative, stimulant, stomachic, vermifuge and mildly tonic. Internal uses: It Stimulates the apatite and can reduce stomach acidity in small doses. In larger doses it increases stomach secretions. (known to treat anorexia) Also known to treat bronchitis, digestive complaints,  sinusitis etc. If infused it can bring about abortion. Chewing the root  can alleviate toothache and kill the taste of tobacco. External Use: It is also used to treat neuralgi, rheumatic pain and skin eruption. It is a folk remedy for arthritis, cancer, convulsions, diarrhea, ddyspepsiayspepsia, epilepsy.

Magical Uses: Grow Calamus for good luck. Use powdered in Incense and sachets for healing. String seeds as beads for healing as well.  Used to strengthen and bind spells. Keep pieces of the root in all four corners of the kitchen in protection against poverty and hunger.

Ritual Uses: The Incense is burned to treat headaches, coughs, and colds.

Other Uses: Phenylpropanoid, produced by plants are used for defense against herbivores and protection against ultra-violet rays.

Health Hazards: Calamus is considered unsafe for human consumption by the FDA due to massive doses given to lab rats over extended time has proved to be carcinogenic.

FDA studies have shown that only Calamus native to India contains the carcinogen Beta-asarone. The North American variety contains only Asarone.

References:

Note: Consult with a Physician or certified herbologist if you are seeking medical remedies. The information is not intended as medical advice. PagansWorld.org is not liable for the misuse of the herb listed above.

Thanks for stopping by! Well wishes to you all and have a great day!

Lisa

News & Submissions 2/22/2011

February 22nd, 2011 by sivodd

New Zealand earthquake strikes Christchurch, killing at least 65 people
At least 65 people have died and more than 100 are missing after a powerful earthquake struck the southern New Zealand city of Christchurch, collapsing buildings, burying vehicles under debris and sending rescuers scrambling to help people trapped under rubble.

The 6.3-magnitude quake struck the country’s second largest city on a busy weekday afternoon.

The mayor of Christchurch, Bob Parker, has declared a state of emergency and ordered people to evacuate the city centre. “Make no mistake this is going to be a very black day for this shaken city,” he said.

Power and water was cut and hundreds of dazed, screaming and crying residents wandered through the streets as sirens blared throughout Christchurch in the aftermath of the quake, which was centred three miles from the city. The US Geological Survey said the tremor occurred at a depth of 2.5 miles. Read full story from guardian.co.uk

Burial ground of Bunyan, Defoe and Blake earns protected status
Bunhill Fields
, the London cemetery where some of the most radical figures in history lie quietly side by side in unhallowed ground, will today be declared a Grade I park by the government, with separate listings for scores of its monuments.

The cemetery, founded in the 1660s as a burial ground for nonconformists, radicals and dissenters, holds the remains of John Bunyan, author of The Pilgrim’s Progress, Daniel Defoe, who wrote Robinson Crusoe, and the poet and artist William Blake, among thousands of others.

In the 19th century, when it had already become a place of pilgrimage for nonconformists and radical reformers, the poet Robert Southey called it the Campo Santo (holy ground) of the dissenters. By the time it was finally declared full and closed in 1853, at least 120,000 people had been interred in the four acres. Read full story from guardian.co.uk

Planet could be ‘unrecognizable’ by 2050, experts say
WASHINGTON (AFP) – A growing, more affluent population competing for ever scarcer resources could make for an “unrecognizable” world by 2050, researchers warned at a major US science conference Sunday.

The United Nations has predicted the global population will reach seven billion this year, and climb to nine billion by 2050, “with almost all of the growth occurring in poor countries, particularly Africa and South Asia,” said John Bongaarts of the non-profit Population Council.

To feed all those mouths, “we will need to produce as much food in the next 40 years as we have in the last 8,000,” said Jason Clay of the World Wildlife Fund at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Read full story from yahoo.com

‘Yoga’ – Another Serious Acid Test For Naga Christians?
I have come across the word ‘Yoga’ for many years but it didn’t register or make any impression on me until  21st Feb. 2011 when I glance through an article, ‘Yoga for healthy living’ in a local daily written by Imtila Sangtam.  She introduced herself as being born into Baptist background whose grandfather and grandmother were the first convert to Christianity from Kubza village on 25-01-1914 and whose father died while in service as a lay evangelist.  She also quoted from Bible- Luke 2:14, ‘Glory to God in the highest’, to support her belief and acknowledges God as the one who brought her to this beautiful world. .After reading the writer’s article, which she wrote in support of her work in promoting Yoga as a harmless exercise, I started questioning myself,  If Yoga is harmless, what harm would there be for a Christian to practice Christian Astrology? Christian Goddess Worship? Christian Animist? Christian New Age? Christian Shamanism? Christian Reincarnation? Christian Tai Chi? Christian Wicca? Christian Witchcraft? Christian Hinduism? Christian Islam? or Christian Zen Buddhism? My intent in writing this article is not to attack anybody, religion or the writer whose purpose I believe is of good intention but to let every reader examine the other angle point of view.

Firstly, I want to cite the definition from Webster’s on “yoga.” It says it’s “a Hindu theistic philosophy teaching the suppression of all activity of body, mind, and will in order that the self may realize its distinction from them and attain liberation.”  Read full story from morungexpress.com

The Theological Dilemma of Medieval Neuroscience
To casual observers the history of science goes something like this: Greek philosophers introduced the world to rational, naturalistic ways of thinking which freed us from superstition and myth. Sadly, the Roman Empire crumbled, Christianity replaced paganism, religious dogma replaced rationalism, and progress stagnated until about the 16th century when the foundations of science began taking shape. Of course, the real story is more complicated (interested readers should see David Lindberg’s The Beginnings of Western Science). At the risk of disorienting casual observers, I am going to explore one of those interesting complications: Medieval neuroscience.

The 12th and 13th centuries witnessed a flourishing of natural philosophy in Christian Europe. While creation, the cosmos, miracles and the nature of God were uppermost on the agenda, medieval natural philosophy also included the biological basis of the human mind. The major brain theory of the time was called the theory of the “inner (or interior) senses,” the roots of which ran back to Aristotle (see Simon Kemp’s book Cognitive Psychology in the Middle Ages, chapter 4). In his De Anima, Aristotle identified a number of intellectual functions including sensation, imagination and memory. Originally, Aristotle located these functions in the heart, but the renowned Roman physician Galen relocated them to the brain. Physicians after Galen (precisely who is unclear) put these function specifically in the ventricles of the brain given that the ventricles were highly interconnected via nerve fibers to sensory and motor systems throughout the body. Animal spirits flowing from the ventricles through the nerve fibers could then account for the direction of thought and action throughout the body. Read full story from huffingtonpost.com

On the edge of history
Carleton University will award an honorary doctorate to Aung San Suu Kyi in absentia on Tuesday. I would like to share, in honour of the moment, a personal memory of my own visit to Burma (now Myanmar). This visit inspired a book of poems I wrote and attempted to send to Aung San Suu Kyi, to whom I dedicated the book. Her husband notified me that there was no means to deliver the book to her but that he thought she would have appreciated it as she was teaching herself French to pass the time in her house arrest.

Pagan, the plain stretching out along the Irrawaddy River, dotted with hundreds of ancient temples, captured my imagination. In my mind’s eye I could see the temples, shimmering in a mist of heat. I could imagine richly detailed carvings and ponder the mystery repeated in so many sites around the world. What causes humankind to create great works of art and architecture in one century and then abandon them abruptly to live amidst their ruins for centuries to come? Is it, as in Jared Diamond’s book, Collapse, because of over population and eco-failure? If so, why do remaining citizens not continue the traditions? Why are the noble arts lost? Read full story from ottawacitizen.com

Pilots, boaters adjust to shift in magnetic north
Magnetic north, the point at the top of the Earth that determines compass headings, is shifting its position at a rate of about 40 miles per year. In geologic terms, it’s racing from the Arctic Ocean near Canada toward Russia.

As a result, everyone who uses a compass, even as a backup to modern GPS navigation systems, needs to be aware of the shift, make adjustments or obtain updated charts to ensure they get where they intend to go, authorities say. That includes pilots, boaters and even hikers.

“You could end up a few miles off or a couple hundred miles off, depending how far you’re going,” said Matthew Brock, a technician with Lauderdale Speedometer and Compass, a Fort Lauderdale company that repairs compasses. Read full story from sunsentinel.com

Death Toll From Quake In New Zealand May Top 200 (source npr)
At least 65 people are reported to have died in the powerful earthquake that rocked Christchurch, New Zealand, earlier today.

Burial ground of Bunyan, Defoe and Blake earns protected status

Who Are We? (Guest Post by Stacy Evans)

February 22nd, 2011 by sivodd

In the wake of “literature” published in connection with the Catholic Church, it’s come out to the main stream media that only teens and young people practice Wicca. We, as believers in our path, know this isn’t the case. Perhaps it’s our own fault that we are seen that way, and why our elders are faced with such surprise when it is discovered that yes, they are Wiccan. With books about teen witchcraft being published left and right over the last decade or so, is there really any wonder?

If we are ever going to be taken seriously as a religion, we need to define one simple thing for other religions and the media that panders to them.

Who Are We?

We can be anyone we want to be, more so because Wicca can encompass anything. We are everyone. We are kind and loving. We can be mean, because we are only human. We are not better than anyone else, but we are equal to everyone else.

This isn’t about rights, it’s about respect. We need to find a way for people to respect us, regardless of those who try to bring us down. And maybe, we can even look to Christianity for examples. Is this our arena, and are the Christians our lions? Perhaps. Not all of them certainly. Obviously, however, some of them fall under this category. We are in a young religion, and we are being forged in the fires. Will we break, or come out stronger?

The right way to go about changing the perception of Wicca is to be respected, and you can’t respect someone who you don’t know. We need to bring our definitions of ourselves as a religion to the forefront, so people can see that we too are human. Jackie Robinson said, “I’m not concerned with your liking or disliking me… All I ask is that you respect me as a human being.” We don’t need other religions to like what we do, or to understand it in its entirety. We just need them to respect our right to believe in it.

Christians have Heaven. Muslims have paradise. A lot of Wiccans believe in Summerland. Buddhists have the state of Nirvana. Every religious path has that last level that all it’s followers want to go to. I think we can agree that there is a higher power up there. Whether you call it God, Goddess, Allah or anything else we need to see that the only thing different about it is how we view it, and we need to respect how others choose to view it.

So who are we? That’s for all of us to answer. 

Be sure to check out Stacy’s blog: Inspired By Life
You can also find her on Facebook: Inspired By Life – Pagan Blog

Thanks for a great read Stacy!

Thanks for stopping by! Well wishes to you all and have a great day!

Lisa

Personal updates

February 20th, 2011 by sivodd

I’m not sure how much I’m going to be around the next few days, as I’m starting  my IVIG treatments tomorrow. It’s supposed to start Monday morning. (3 days/3-4 hours per day) Depending on how it affects me will determine site updates. After my latest relapse, this should put me back on track. I’m looking forward to having my strength back.

I’ve been cleaning like a mad person today. Having 2 dogs, I want to make sure the house is spotless. Between their dust and hair, I’m not looking to get an infection. No more hospitals PLEASE! At least it’s an in home treatment. If all goes well, (meaning no weird side affects) I’m going to enjoy 3 fun filled days of knitting.

I will post if possible. we’ll have to see how I react to the meds. Last time I had it, I was in the hospital and happily medicated, not real sure what it’s going to do to me without my friend morphine.

Here’s to getting better and moving forward!

That’s all for now

Thanks for stopping by! Well wishes to you all and have a great day!

Lisa

Saturday Morning Post

February 19th, 2011 by sivodd

Toronto’s one-stop Occult Shop
The next time you’re satisfying a serious ice-cream craving at Dutch Dreams on Vaughan Road, wander a little bit north and you’ll find a large, white building containing an inconspicuous store framed by clouded windows. The red, weather-beaten, wooden sign hanging above the entrance reads, “The Occult Shop,” and despite its humble facade, the store serves as a gathering place for a range of spiritual subcultures in Toronto.

Tamarra and husband Richard James (pictured at right) opened The Occult Shop in 1979 at a location on Queen Street West (where Doc’s Leathers & Motorcycle Gear now resides). After a few years of moving around, they finally settled into their current home at 109 Vaughan, where they dole out spiritual advice with their herbs, incense and candles.

“We make sure that we know our product really, really well,” says Richard, who, with Tamarra, also also founded the Wiccan Church of Canada (WCC) around the same time that they opened the store. The church’s headquarters and main temple—which holds open rituals every Sunday at 7pm—is housed in the same building as The Occult Shop. The James started the group partly because of customer demand, but also to educate people on this often misunderstood faith. The church currently has a satellite temple in Hamilton and around 100 members, although Richard points out that that number fluctuates. Read full story from eyeweekly.com

It’s a witch…It’s a boat…It’s Salem
These three words, together with a logo that can be seen as either a sailboat or witch hat, were unveiled yesterday as a new brand Salem will use to sell itself.

“We want this to be a tool for communication and for sharing what we are here in Salem,” said Kate Fox, executive director of Destination Salem.

A nonprofit funded by a combination of city money and advertising dollars, Destination Salem is charged with promoting the city and attracting visitors. The group paid Rattle, a Beverly advertising, design and marketing firm, $25,000 to create the logo and tag line.

When it was first shown at the end of a video about the city, the Salem business owners and managers who gathered in a Peabody Essex Museum auditorium broke into applause.

“I’m super excited about it,” Mayor Kim Driscoll said. “What it says to me is that the more we change and grow, in many respects, the more we stay the same.”

The dual-purpose logo acknowledges Salem’s popular “Witch City” identity but also celebrates its maritime roots. Read full story from salemnews.com

Norse code as Vikings return to York
WE’RE used to seeing the occasional blood-spattered Viking wandering the streets of York. But for nine days you won’t be able to move for axe-wielding Norsemen, even when you are doing the weekly shop in Monks Cross.

Next weekend they will even be rampaging across the racecourse.

The annual Jorvik Viking Festival starts today and this year hundreds of warriors will descend on the city to commemorate King Ethelred’s battle to capture York. Read full story from yorkpress.co.uk

Thomas Reed Interview: Part 2 (Conclusion) (Video)
Well everyone, here it is! The long awaited conclusion of the Thomas Reed Interview. It’s been a long time coming and it took quite a lot of editing to get it to a manageable length but I did it.The Reed Saga is quite extraordinary and I hope I was able to do it justice. In the conclusion we talk to Tom about his mid to late abductions as well as those of his brother Matt. We also were able to speak with Debbie Kauble and get her input as well as a video clip she took during a MUFON investigation of Matt’s SUV after his latest experience. Read full story from ghosttheory.com

Renowned atheist draws crowd at Nova Southeastern
t was more than an hour before the biology professor walked onto stage at Nova Southeastern University, but dozens of fans had already lined up Thursday night in hopes of getting in to hear his much-anticipated speech.

Universities are naturally magnets for academics to talk about their study, but this was no average scientist.

A sold-out crowd was already inside.

If it’s possible to conceive a God of the world of atheism and evolutionary biology, Richard Dawkins would be hard to beat for the title.

One of the most prolific atheists and secular humanists living today, he spoke on “The Fact of Evolution” and his stance against creationism in an hour-long chat that spanned topics from philosophy and theology to biology and gene mutation. Read full story from miamiheral.com

Rob Zombie Talks ‘The Lords of Salem’
Rob Zombie is touching on some of his inspirations for his next film “The Lords of Salem.”A co-production between Haunted Movies (“Insidious”) and Alliance Films, “The Lords of Salem” is written and directed by Zombie (“The Devil’s Rejects,” “Halloween”).

The film will center on contemporary Salem, where the residents encounter a 300-year-old coven of demonic witches.

“I’m going to probably start pre-production in March,” Zombie said in an interview with List.co.uk. “Hopefully I’ll shoot it around June. … ‘Lords of Salem’ is an original idea, it’s a new thing. Read full story from rabiddoll.com

Why Are Some Paranormal Beliefs More Attractive to Males While Others Are More Appealing to Females?
There are interesting differences between men and women on so-called “paranormal beliefs,” such as the belief in astrology, ESP, UFOs, Bigfoot, and ghosts. An abundance of research in the sociology of religion has found that women are more spiritual than men in a variety of ways. Women are more likely to belong to conventional religious organizations and hold traditional religious beliefs. They are also much more likely than men to believe in psychic powers, astrology, the power of mediums, and ghosts.

Men are more likely than women to believe that some UFOs are extraterrestrial craft and about equally likely to believe in creatures such as Bigfoot. Concerning an escalation of participation to the level of active research, men are also more likely than women to pursue these beliefs by becoming Bigfoot or UFO “hunters.”
These discrepancies indicate that men have a tendency to approach the paranormal differently from women. Men are more likely to see the paranormal as a means of discovery—i.e., they hope to capture Bigfoot to prove to others that it is (empirically) real. Females are more likely to see the paranormal as a source of personal discovery and enlightenment, a route to achieving a more thorough understanding of themselves and their relations to other people. Such lines of interest may also be pursued in the effort to “become a better person.” scienceandreligiontoday.com

Couple Finds Image of Jesus in Wooden Chair (source ktla)

News & Submissions 2/18/2011

February 18th, 2011 by sivodd

PantheaCon 2011: Pan-pagan convention returns to San Jose on February 18
PantheaCon, an interfaith pagan convention that brings together thousands of people from across the United States, will be happening in San Jose, CA this coming President’s Day weekend.

The convention’s dates are Feb 18-21 and will be held at the DoubleTree Hotel. As usual for PantheaCon, they will be taking up the entirety of the hotel’s function space.

The theme for this year’s gathering is “Walking the Talk.” People who submitted presentations for the event were encouraged to focus on the meaning of that phrase for pagans in modern times. Read full story from examiner.com

Malawi’s jailed witches get a lease of life
A human rights group in Malawi is causing a stir as it embarks on a mission to gather 10,000 signatures from locals to force President Bingu wa Mutharika free several jailed witches.Association of Secular Humanism (ASH) says most of the convicts are women jailed for teaching witchcraft to children. Reports say some are doing jail time of up to six years.

“I’m asking you to sign this petition to help us reach our goal of 10,000 signatures. I care deeply about this cause, and I hope you will support our efforts,” a senior official of the association, Harold Williams is quoted saying.

The petition reads: “Belief in witchcraft is widely held in Malawi by people of all levels of education and stature in society. Whereas the law does not accept the reality of witchcraft, the Police and judicial authorities, many of whom share the belief, distort the law to punish those who are accused of witchcraft”

“It is mainly the elderly, men and women, who are accused of witchcraft and there are many very elderly and infirm imprisoned throughout Malawi – sentenced for up to 6 years without anything that would pass as substantive evidence in courts which do not accept superstition and suspicion as adequate.”

“The Association of Secular Humanism in Malawi has made several attempts to persuade the authorities to release these unfortunates and has visited many in our prisons. We need your help!” Read full story from afrik-news.com

Witchcraft Legal Aid in Africa
NEW YORK — Accusations of witchcraft in Africa have gained increasing attention because of the severe impact they can have on the lives of those accused, including imprisonment, deprivation of property, banishment from villages and in some cases physical violence.The human-rights law program I direct recently partnered with an N.G.O. in Malawi to run a mobile legal-aid clinic focusing on witchcraft cases in two rural communities.

Men, women and children flocked to our clinic seeking legal assistance. The cases were challenging and engaged the question of how to confront accusations of witchcraft, particularly when children and elderly women disproportionately bear the brunt of such accusations.

The persecution of accused witches has not historically been confined to Africa. Witch-hunts have occurred in Europe, America, ancient Rome, Aztec Mexico, Russia, China and India. But the practice persists in poor settings in part because witchcraft can be used in communities without routine access to modern medicine and science to explain seemingly inexplicable instances of death and misfortune. Read full story from nytimes.com

‘Adventures’ every witch way in Salem
With its witch-hunt past and embrace of all things ethereal, Salem is hallowed ground for anyone interested in the paranormal.

So when the crew from the Travel Channel’s “Ghost Adventures” (tonight at 9) wanted to up the ante in season four, they pointed their Electronic Voice Phenomena recorders to the North Shore.

“I actually have been dying to come back to anywhere near my hometown for a couple years now,” “Ghost Adventures” investigator Nick Groff, a former Pelham, N.H., resident said. “Everybody knows about Salem, the witch trials, the movies — everything that’s been done here.” Read full story from bostonherald.com

New York City’s Official Apocalypse Manual
Should New York City face a “very grim” situation, the government has the right to “establish curfews, quarantine wide areas, close businesses, restrict public assemblies and, under certain circumstances, suspend local ordinances,” the New York Times explains in a feature this morning about the legal rulebook that governs potentially apocalyptic times. It’s terrifying in theory, but also very boring because it’s written by lawyers. The “New York State Public Health Legal Manual,” a/k/a The Oh My God We’re All Goin’ to Die book, “provides a catalog of potential terrorism nightmares, like smallpox, anthrax or botulism episodes.” But don’t worry, they have a plan. Read full story from villagevoice.com

New Bigfoot sighting near Pittsburgh
It was early Tuesday morning February 8th 2011,  Sam was just exiting route 60 at about 7:45AM and about to turn into the PA turnpike when something odd caught his attention.The intersection was in the middle of a rolling landscape with hills on every side. The tenacious winter weather of the season had coated the hills with much snow, and every hill was glistening white in the early morning sun. But to his left a large dark brown figure stood out in stark contrast to the colorless background.  It was a massive dark brown humanoid figure, trudging its way effortlessly through the deep snow that covered the hillside to his left. Sam was shocked and amazed. The figure was familiar to him, he had seen it so many times before on documentaries and cable television specials. He was watching a Bigfoot creature first hand from about 100 yards away. Read full story from examiner.com

Capture of wanted killer sheds light on life in polygamist cult
THE revelation that one of Australia’s most wanted killers took sanctuary in an obscure polygamist cult in the Cairns hinterland has finally lifted the veil on the secretive sect, which former followers say has thrived for more than 30 years.

Headed by millionaire property owner Daniel Landy-Ariel, the Jesus People preach an orthodox Christian lifestyle in which adherents speak ancient Aramaic and some forms of violence against women and children are allegedly encouraged.

Guided by their spiritual father, the cult’s 150 followers are crammed into urban properties in Sydney and Cairns, as well as three massive kibbutzes in remote areas of Queensland and NSW.

Police are now investigating the extent to which cult members may have sheltered convicted murderer Luke Andrew Hunter, 42, and whether or not they helped him obtain work with Queensland Health. Read full story from theaustralian.com

Cast Your Love Spell with a Love Potion
A love spell has been described as a positive love-thought that you send out to the universe as an affirmation in the way of an incantation, or simply in the form of a prayer, and then you visualize with intense feeling what you desire to attract to your life.

Put these ingredients of manifestation together with the power of a ritual and you have a love spell that is simply spell-binding! During my years of studying metaphysics I am honored to have close friends and soul sisters from my home land in Australia, Deborah Gray and my late friend Athena Starwoman, both self-confessed and practicing white witches who lived in a coven and follow a spiritual way of life.

Having kept such company, over the years a little of their white magic rubbed off, and for this Valentine’s Day, I have created a concoction suitable for your star sign so you can cast your very own love spell. Read full story from nydailynews.com